Seducer
by VannuroRB
Summary: Young Yugi Mutou was heading straight for a death sentence, but when saved by his mysterious rescuer, he finds his life takes a turn for the weird, unusual, and downright lucky.
1. Chapter 1

So, before I start this, I want to give s2Teennovelist thanks for listening to me rambling about this idea.

Domo arigatou tomodachi!

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Chapter 1~

Serenity was tucked up in her bed; eyes squeezed shut tightly, sweat drenching her pale skin, while she desperately gasped for air. Though unconscious and seemingly in pain, she was still alive, and that was all Yugi could be grateful for.

Sat by her side, Yugi checked on Serenity's condition before having to leave her while they worked. Though both he and Serenity's brother, Joey, would have preferred to stay at home to tend to Serenity, their money was short, and they needed more to pay for her medicine.

After watching her for a little while, Yugi placed his hand on her forehead, checking on her temperature, which was considerably higher than his own. Despite the obvious symptoms, there was little he could do. So tucking in the sheets around her shoulders, Yugi got up and walked back into the living room, pulling the tattered curtains across so that she could have some privacy while she slept, if she was even aware she had that luxury.

"How is she?" Yugi turned around, watching as Joey pulled on his next to best clean shirt, getting ready to leave for work himself.

"She's…alright" Yugi replied with a smile.

"Don't baby me" Joey scolded lightly, trying to brush off some dirt that had buried in his shirt "She's not any better is she?"

"Her symptoms are getting worse…" Yugi admitted, but kept his optimistic smile shining "But, we are getting paid. After work today, I'll buy her some medicine and bring it right back, as fast as my legs will take me. She should get better after she takes some medicine, right?"

"Yeah. I suppose so…" Was Joey's despondent response, and breathed a heavy sigh.

Seeing his friend in such a depressive state, Yugi walked over to his friend, and gave him a few encouraging pats to the shoulder, making him lift his head.

"Come on Joey, don't be like that!" Yugi comforted "Serenity wouldn't want to see you like this, she'd want you to keep your chin up and stay happy, right?"

At his friend's attempt to keep him happy, Joey managed to pull his own smile back, and dive his hand into Yugi's hair to ruffle it, earning a playful chuckle from Yugi.

"I gotta say, I'm probably the luckiest guy around to have two optimistic people keeping me company!" Joey said with glee "Between you and my sis, how can I ever feel down?"

"Heh! I'm glad I could cheer you up Joey" Yugi waited until Joey took back his hand before turning to the door "Well I've got to go already".

"Alright, I've still got to get ready, so I'll keep an eye on Serenity for a little while longer".

"Okay then" Yugi headed to the door, opening it up, and letting in the musty, hot summer air in "I'll be off now, see you later!"

"Have a good day" Joey called out to Yugi before he shut the door behind him.

Yugi walked down the stairs from his apartment, looking down at the small courtyard where a group of children were playing. They had a ragged ball to kick around, small parts of it coming off as it rolled around, but still gave the children enjoyment nonetheless. As Yugi reached the bottom step, he noticed the ball rolling towards him, bumping into the step before rolling to a stop.

Yugi reached down to pick up the ball, and turned to the kids "Who do I give this too?"

"Me!" One boy exclaimed, wildly swinging his arms about "It's my turn!"

"Okay" Yugi put down the ball directly in front of him, and with slight apprehension, kicked it towards the boy. The ball skimmed across the ground as if it were a pebble to water, bypassing the child altogether, forcing him to run after it. With a sheepish grin, Yugi apologised "Sorry!"

"Hey Yugi!" The children swarmed around Yugi. Having been friendly to them since their births, the children had always trusted Yugi, and easily welcomed him as their friend, despite the large age gap between them "Did you hear? Did you hear?"

With a tilt of his head, Yugi gave a curious gaze "Hm? Hear about what?"

"Down at the Nakamura estate!"

"Yeah, Mr. Nakamura has bought something really fancy!"

"Oh? What is it?" Yugi queried.

"A giant golden egg!"

"A…giant golden egg?"

"Yeah!" The kids replied "It's supposedly pure gold, and just sits in his study!"

"Huh…" Yugi gave the sky an inquisitive look "I wonder why anyone wants a golden egg…"

"We know! It's really useless! But I bet it costs a lot of money!"

"But our parents say we can only go out with a responsible adult".

Yugi turned his curious gaze back to the children "Eh?"

"Yugi's small like us" One child explained "But he's an adult, so that's okay, right?"

"I'm sure Yugi won't be seen either, he can come and go as he pleases!" Another chipped in.

A young boy grabbed the hem of Yugi's shirt, tugging on it playfully "Yeah, and Serenity's sick! So I'm sure that it'll pay for her medicine, right?"

"You want me to…? No!" Yugi forcibly tugged his clothes out of the children's hands, and gave each of them a scolding frown "Don't you know that it's wrong to steal?! If you got caught, the courts won't go lightly on you because your children! You'd be hung for sure!" At the grisly reminder, the kids bowed their heads in shame, falling silent and submissive at Yugi's lecture "I know times can be tough, and it might seem like it's the only option, but keep your heads held high, and do your best, and the bad times will go away, I promise you that".

With timid mumbles of "Yes Yugi…" Yugi gave a sigh, happy to know his meaning had been heard, and turned to walk away.

"I have work to do. I'll see you kids later".

"Bye Yugi!" They called out, and once Yugi had walked out onto the street, began kicking their ball about and resumed playing.

The city streets were crowded as usual; carriages drove down the pebbled roads, clunking along at their own pace, without a sign that they would stop. The pavements were covered with the finest suits, and the most elegant gowns, sweeping over the grey earth beneath them. And Yugi, who was shunned with the rest of his kind to be scum, to be equal as the dirt in between the cracks of walls, walked among civilians of the city. He constantly had to keep himself aware of his surroundings, not wanting to bump into someone by accident and be held responsible to any damages done to their clothes, or be held responsible if there were no damages. So acting as if a hunting cat—weaving in and out among the sea of people—Yugi counted his morning lucky by not disturbing anyone, and managed to reach the bakery he worked at in time, much to the disappointment of his employer.

Yugi took no time in starting his work. Grabbing his broom and cloth, he set to cleaning the bakery to the best of his ability, all the while avoiding the bakers and customers, and keeping away from sight most of the time, so as to not decrease the appeal of the bakery. As he swept the floors when the store was quiet, he could not help but stare at the cakes on offer hungrily, having his own secret sweet tooth.

_The cakes look good again_ Yugi thought to himself, relying on his broom to keep up the sweeping rhythm _I doubt I'll ever be able to buy them though. And I doubt I'll get one for free._

With the idea crushed in an instant, Yugi forced his gaze to the floor, and moved the bristles of the broom to another spot on the floor.

_I hope the kids are alright. Maybe I was…a bit harsh on them_ With a sigh, Yugi tilt his head to the side, feeling his neck creak_ But, what else was I supposed to say? I can't let them go off stealing things. Well, I'll apologise to them I guess. I think they understood for the most part._

For several more hours, Yugi continued to work in the stuffy bakery, watching as the shadows outside grew longer and longer, and the sunlight seeping to a deep orange colour. As the bakery was about to close up, Yugi did his last rounds around the store, leaving everything in perfect condition for the next day. He parted with farewells, and as he walked down the street, counted the money he had been paid with.

_Good, it's enough_ Yugi thought, forcing the money into his pocket quickly _I'll go buy Serenity her medicine, and hurry back home. Hopefully Joey will be back soon too._

Walking through the evening streets again, Yugi came to a small pharmacy, and after picking out the medicine he needed, he paid for it and took his leave once more. With the necessary medicine bundled up in his bag, he carried it in his arms, and picked up his pace so he could return home quickly.

Upon returning to his home, and walking into the courtyard, Yugi stopped briefly to examine the commotion.

The children, huddled together with solemn looks, were being interrogated by two officers. Though they seemed like they wanted nothing more with the little urchins, they tried to keep a plain expression, and try to talk to them in a civil manner. Yugi sidled round the group, eyes never leaving, until he came to the stairs that led up to his home.

_I hope…they aren't in trouble_ Yugi thought to himself _Perhaps I should go see. But…_ with a small chink, Yugi looked down at his bag, seeing the bottle of medicine lay on its side _I have to give Serenity her medicine. So…I'll be quick. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen before then._

"Yugi took it!" At the sound of his name loudly echoing in the courtyard, Yugi turned back around. One the children had spotted Yugi, and had turned to him, pointing an accusing finger at him "He hid it in his house! I saw him carry that egg up!"

Astonished, Yugi could only stare wide eyed at the children, as the officers turned their attention to the young man instead. When seeing that their new target was older, and someone they could overpower without a question of decency, they began to approach, showing that they had no fear to restrain any violence towards him.

"We need to speak with you" They said, but there was a strong tone in their voice, giving Yugi the impression that there was little choice in the matter.

As they began to ascend the stairs, Yugi shakily backed up the steps, shaking his head as he did so "I-I have to go!"

Spinning around on his heels, Yugi raced up the stairs to his apartment, hearing the officers yell as loud as they could for him to halt. But Yugi did not falter. As soon as he reached his apartment door, he opened it and threw himself in, before shutting the door behind him and locking it.

Banging soon pursued on the weak door, and it shuddered under the great force, making Yugi pray that the wood would hold out.

_Why would they do that?!_ Yugi thought to himself, looking around the small room _How can they accuse me of…?_

Yugi's thoughts trailed off as he noticed a bundle hidden next to the chair; a thick blanket wrapped within itself, and hidden behind the thin leg, giving the impression of a sloppy job of stashing it away. With his face going pale, Yugi hurried over to it and fell to his knees, pulling at the cloth until it unfolded within his grasp.

Nestled in the dirty rag was a pure, clean and shinning golden egg. The top was coated in the golden metal, while the plump bottom was decorated with waves of deep blue and white. Just by its appearance, Yugi knew that it belonged to someone of higher authority, like a nobleman whom was the centre of recent gossip.

With more heavy pounding at the door, and threats of breaking in, Yugi got up to his feet once more. Figuring that he had been the unwilling scapegoat in the plan, there was little he could do to clear his name at the current point, lest he shifted the blame on the children again.

_What do I do?_ Yugi debated with himself _If I toss it away, then it'll make me look even more guilty. I'll just be digging myself a grave_. Looking down at his arms, he looked over the medicine once more _Then…I'll just have to do the best I can for now._

Yugi then turned to the bedroom, pushing back the curtain, and gazing down at Serenity. The young girl had remained in the bed all day, unmoved from her position, and still struggling to breathe. He sat himself by Serenity's side, and dug out the medicine bottle, as well as a spoon. After pulling the lid out, he poured the thick liquid onto the spoon, and gently passed it through Serenity's lips.

Though she gave a light cough, a faint lump moved down Serenity's neck, confirming that she had swallowed the spoonful. Grateful, Yugi did not hesitate to give her a second, as the officers began to assault the door. Once she swallowed again, Yugi put aside the medicine, and wished her the best of health, knowing it was all he could at the time.

With a crash, the frail door swung open, and the officers stumbled inside. Immediately their eyes set upon the gold coloured egg in the house, and their conviction was proven true. Straightening themselves out, they located Yugi in the bedroom, and grabbed both of his arms. He did not resist as they dragged him to his feet, and gave him his reason for the arrest while collecting the ornament, he was only grateful that he could give Serenity her medicine on time.

As he was pulled out of the apartment and down the stairs, he spotted the children cowering behind an open door, watching the commotion unfold with interest.

"Oi!" The loud voice of his friend made Yugi turn around when they reached the bottom step, watching Joey race towards the officer, and near tackled the man on Yugi's right "What do you think you're doing-?!"

"Get away!" The man growled, and forcibly pushed Joey away.

"Joey, it's fine!" Yugi tried to reassure the angered blond "Don't worry about me! I gave Serenity her medicine too; it should all be up there!"

"But-!" As he was pulled away from his home, his friend, and his life, Yugi could only give a bright smile to his world. Despite knowing it was for the best, he was scared. Hidden away underneath his smile, he was scared for his outcome, knowing that the courts never took lightly to scum like himself. His fate was uncertain, but already murky with distaste.

For a few days, Yugi was detained until his trial, drawing out his anxious patience to the very end. But when the officers came to bring him to the court, expressions of contempt despite knowing his fate, Yugi could not help but wish he had a bit more time if it meant he could live longer.

As Yugi was led to the courtroom, both officers on either side to make sure he did not escape, he could hear the soft murmurs of the attending nobles, all eager to see the sentencing of the young boy. Stopping at the large wooden double doors, the officers pushed them open, and forced Yugi to step inside.

Though murky with the grey of smoke, Yugi could make out the stand, placed in the middle of the room like it was a viewing podium, and near boxed in to trap him further under the eyes of the law. The small path to the stand was squeezed in between rows of seats, where nobles from different walks of life stood conversing with each other, idly waiting for the next court case to start so they could take witness for it—to either see justice work accordingly, or to find amusement in those who struggled against the law. Opposite the stand, with two other officers acting as guards, was the judge. A balding man, with a crooked nose, and small spectacles looked over the papers in front of him, before lifting his head up and sneering at Yugi as he approached.

Once Yugi was guided to the stand, his head forced low so he would not be tempted to look behind him at the nobles, the judge picked up his gavel and banged it on the wooden block. The sound reverberated around the smoke filled room, loud enough to pierce over the discussions, and bring about a sudden interested silence.

"Court is now in session, take your seats" The judge ordered, giving the gavel another hit, giving way to the sound of the audience taking their seats. With attention now diverted to Yugi, he felt the backs of his hairs stand up, creating a sickly creeping feeling on his skin. He wanted to look behind him, to ease his worry that no matter what they did they were still people, but doing so would result in a probable hit from the officers.

"State your name boy" The judge ordered.

"M-Mutou…" Yugi stuttered out timidly "Yugi…"

"Louder!" He bellowed, making Yugi cringe "I don't care for bumbling idiots!"

"M-Mutou Yugi" Yugi repeated, forcing his voice to be louder, despite the strain it put on him.

The judge scoffed, but jotted down his name nonetheless "Mutou. A scum dweller eh? Always causing trouble, why am I not surprised?" After finishing, the judge put down his quill, and clasped his hands together "You have been arrested for the suspicion of stealing property from the house of Nakamura. The item in question was found in your…" The man crinkled his nose, and said in disgust "Home. How do you plea?"

Yugi opened his mouth, but hesitated when he thought about the kids, dreading to imagine what their sentence would be if he pinned the blame on them. And with the fact that he had been, supposedly, caught red handed, there was little he could say to change anyone's minds, whether he was innocent or not.

"G-Guilty" Yugi spoke, earning a soft murmur of disappointment from the crowd.

"So you admit to stealing the invaluable ornament?" The judge queried.

"Yes".

"And stashing it in your home, where it was discovered upon entry?"

"Yes…"

The judge gave a snort, and picked up his quill to begin writing again "An honest boy. But a criminal scum just like the rest of them. Those who dwell in the slums will always resort to crime; it's in their filthy nature, and that's what's poisoning our cities" With a sigh, he finished off his notes "Well, a quick case is what I need".

He then picked up his gavel, priming it to hit as he gave his sentence "Mutou Yugi, for the theft of property from the Nakamura residence, I sentence you to-"

"Your honour" A voice spoke out, and in an instant the crowd became a bustle of excitement, including Yugi who became stiff at the interruption "I'd like to make an offer, if you will".

The judge squinted his eyes, looking through the thick cloud of smoke, before scowling and pursing his lips "Oh, you again" He growled, showing hate to the man who spoke.

"I'm glad we're acquainted now" He joked lightly "Your honour, my lord has opened up a spot for a, shall we say, servant, to work for him as of late. I'd be more than happy to take Mr. Mutou off your hands for said job".

Another chorus of whispers broke out, while the judge became more infuriated "You'd let a thief into your home? You must be more ridiculous than I thought!"

"But it's better than letting a useful life go to waste, no?"

"And if he were to steal something? Hurt your lord, or cause general crime? What then?"

The man gave a laugh at the thought "Your honour, if this boy were to go against the law again, I assure you, my lord is more than capable of bringing swift punishment. We will not act with softness".

Yugi watched as the judge's mouth twisted, trying to determine a way to fight back, argue a point that would seal Yugi's death. It was strange. A man in such a high power of law was struggling against a citizen, who, by how he termed his employer, was no higher than an average servant. He had no right, and no way to convince a judge to spare Yugi's life, but the sight was happening before his eyes.

"Your honour" The man spoke again "Did you not say you desired a speedy case? Surely, sending this boy to his death will cause more work for you to do than simply giving me his rights. Don't you think?"

The judge pondered for a few moments more, before emitting a growl mixed with a groan, and held his gavel up again "Fine, if you want him so much. I order Mutou under your care. He is to work for your lord and if he were to break the law again, he will be sentenced to death" And with the order given, he struck the block of wood to denounce his final judgement, letting the room fill with disappointment and confusion.

"I will require a few days to set up his room" The man explained.

"Fine, fine" The judge turned to the guards, giving them a simple hand gesture "Take the boy back to the cells, he'll stay there until they are ready".

With little time to let his mind come to terms to what had happened, Yugi was roughly grabbed, and forced to walk out of the courtroom again. On his way out, Yugi tried to find the man who had spoken up and saved him, but after he had turned around, the man had sunken back within the crowd. Whoever his saviour was, he would have to wait after his few days of detainment where he would be collected, and forced to start his new life elsewhere.

********************************End of chapter 1*****************************

You know what, I learnt something.

I learnt what the hell it is judges' use. Gavel. It sounds much better than hammer.

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

So, I bet you can't guess who's being introduced in this chapter.

Like, pfft, you don't know me. You don't think I'd introduce the same characters to revive a popular pairing in the fandom. Pfft. As if.

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Chapter 2~

Over the days Yugi was placed back in his cell, he was given considerate care despite the contempt the officers had, all the while anxiously waiting for his apparent saviour to collect him. Though he was curious about the man he was going to meet, asking about the man's name ended up in a stern verbal warning and occasionally a smack, with the officers using the excuse that Yugi had no right to ask about such personal information. He had to settle with meeting the man on the day, face to face, nerve-rackingly.

Finally, after a few days of wait, the bars of his cell were banged. The loud echoing noise of the metal startled Yugi, and he jumped up and turned to the bars, seeing two officers standing on the other side of his cell; one tapping on the bars to catch his attention, the other setting to the lock, jingling his keys as he opened it.

"Your escort is here" The man tapping at the cell simply said, and once his partner had opened the door wide, gestured Yugi to join them "Come on, we haven't got all day, rat".

Obediently, Yugi got up from his stone bench, and walked out from his cell. Unsatisfied with the slow speed Yugi took, the guard grabbed Yugi by the shoulder, and pushed him ahead and into a quicker pace, keeping a rough hand stuck to his back to force him along.

Though Yugi knew it was inevitable, and that he should be grateful that the man had managed to get his life spared, he could not help but feel scared. He was going into a household he was unfamiliar with, with unknown people, who expected him to do work that he was unsure that he could fulfil. If he could not match up with their expectations, he dared not think what the consequences were, but could not imagine doing so anyway. It was a doomed life, just extended longer into servitude.

"Here he is" The officer said once they walked out the front door, and gave Yugi a hard push so he stumbled "Take him if you want the urchin".

When the officers retreated into the station, leaving Yugi on the streets which he thought he would never see again, he looked up at the man in question who was going to take him away.

He was young, which surprised Yugi, finding it hard to picture the smooth and mature voice he had heard yesterday with the man in front of him. He had tanned skin like that of bronze, and long brown hair which he tied back in a loose ponytail, with a few locks left to dangle lifelessly in front of his shoulders, and wore a suit that, to Yugi's judgement, was too grand to simply wear outside.

When the man had studied over Yugi for a few moments, making Yugi feel ashamed of his peasant appearance, he gave a pleasant smile to the young, nervous boy.

"Mutou Yugi right?" He queried, to which Yugi nodded, too anxious to speak to him "I hope your time at the station hasn't been too harsh on you" The man then placed his hand on his chest, and gave a courteous bow, one that resembled how someone should bow to royalty "My name is Mahad Massari. I hope that you and I will get along well, considering that we shall be working alongside each other".

"M-Mm…" Yugi hummed, unsure on how to respond to such polite and kind etiquette.

Rising himself up, Mahad gave Yugi another smile, before gesturing to the public road in front of them "Well then, shall we be off? The lord is waiting for us, and I'm certain you would not want to loiter for too long in front of the station".

Yugi gave one last look to the station behind him, but followed Mahad onto the street, unable to argue against his fate. As they walked away from the station, Mahad taking the lead while Yugi dwindled behind him like a scolded puppy, Mahad clasped his hands behind his back.

"Oh, I should also say" Mahad spoke again "My lord does not like liars, so it would be in your best interest to be honest, no matter what the situation".

Confused, Yugi finally looked up at him, settling on the back of his head "I…don't understand what you mean" Yugi managed to ease out.

"The law may accept your lies because you come from a poorer background, but in the lords house there is no discrimination, so it would be best if you were to be truly honest with us".

Yugi felt his mouth drop open, and upon realising he was doing the ridiculous expression, quickly shut it "Y-You knew I lied? How?"

Mahad did not answer, he simply looked over his shoulder at Yugi, violet eyes connecting with Yugi's, and pulled his lips up into a smile. The action alone, unnerving even in its pleasantest form, gave Yugi the indication that there would be no answer to his question. He just simply nodded to show he understood the warning, and once Mahad faced the road again, made sure to keep up with the man, all the while left bewildered.

Keeping close to Mahad, Yugi was led out of the centre of the city, and to the peaceful and elegant streets of the aristocrats' quarters. The streets and homes were drastically different from the slums he was used to; with the roads built with smoothed stone, and trees planted outside the front of every house. The homes—though manors seemed to fit their appearance then a warmly home—were large, open spaced, with space for gardens and gazebos alike. They seemed more like dolls houses then an actual place to live.

Nevertheless, he kept quiet about his opinion on the perfect condition, worried that he would come off as offensive or malevolent to someone who lived in the neighbourhood. After passing house after house, Mahad making small greetings to the occupants who happened to be outside, they soon came to a lone standing mansion. It was large, with parts of the building pushing out from its rectangular shape, no doubt to create a larger space inside. Pointed triangular roofs with chimneys oddly placed covered the top of the mansion, while large bay windows let in the bright daylight into the otherwise dark house, covering most of the large wall space, and even the smaller wall space had long, thin windows to compensate. The garden which surrounded the estate was filled with wildflowers, ivy growing up the chalk white walls, and a couple of unkempt bushes planned in an awkward pattern. All of which were surrounded by an iron barred fence, with a gate facing out onto the road, which Mahad unlocked and pushed open for them to enter.

"Yugi?" Mahad called when Yugi got lost in his awe of the building.

Broken out of his thoughts, Yugi quickly jogged inside of the perimeter, and watched Mahad lock the gate behind them before being lead down the path to the front door. As he approached the building, Yugi watched as the building grew over him, and had to tip his head back to fully appreciate the height of the mansion.

"This place…is so beautiful" Yugi said astounded.

"I'm glad you think so" Mahad responded cheerily "The lord is not one for keeping up appearances, but I am happy he chose this establishment as his home".

"Oh" Was all Yugi could respond with, and decided to admire the smaller details of the front door when they come to it, knowing he would not have time to stare at them again.

Mahad opened the front door, and stood back and gave a gesture for Yugi to walk in first, to which he did. As he stepped out from the sun touched wild garden and into the aroma filled house of wealth and grandeur, Yugi could only leave his mouth gaping open, left in wonder at the décor of the house.

The walls were coloured burgundy with dark wood, paintings of landscapes and portraits alike were hung up on the walls, and a set of stairs lead up to the upper half of the mansion. The corridor stretched out two ways, one with several set of doors branching off, and the other came to a dead stop to one door.

Before Yugi had a chance to fully absorb the rich colour of the house, Mahad put his arm around Yugi, breaking him out of his trance and leading him down the lone corridor, towards the solitary door.

"We don't want to keep the lord waiting, do we?" Mahad said.

Yugi gave a hum as a response, a ball of nerves hitting his stomach at the thought of meeting someone who he would have to deem his master.

When they came to the door, Mahad took his hand away from Yugi, and knocked gently on the wood "My lord, I have returned" He called through, but when he received no response, frowned and knocked again "My lord?"

After waiting for a considerable amount of time, and with no invitation to enter, Mahad opened the door for them to enter.

The room was set up as a study; shelves that were wrapped around the room held many untitled books, and cabinets and drawers tucked under each shelf, undoubtedly to store notes and papers. A large table was placed near the window, covered with instruments and objects, while a couple of chairs were sat lazily at its side. Opposite the door was a desk, papers littering its surface, and a few opened books. And sat at the desk, slumped over limply, was a man.

With no sign that his behaviour was normal, Yugi felt his stomach clench even tighter, worried that something terrible had happened to the man—who he presumed was the lord of the mansion.

"I-Is he alright? Is he sick?" Yugi questioned, cautious to tread inside the study.

"Ah, this happens all the time" Mahad replied casually, and walked over to the corpse, prodding his shoulder a few times. At the sound of a grunt, Yugi eased his body to relax, though kept caution nonetheless "My lord, you need to wake up now".

After a few more encouraging shakes from Mahad, the man finally shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and tilted his head so he looked up at Mahad.

"Mahad…" He groaned, a hand running through his hair "What are you doing? Can't you see that I'm tired?"

"I believe you were the one to give me the order to wake you whenever you fell asleep" With a hostile growl from the man, Mahad simply smiled, and let his lord wake up in his own time "Besides, Yugi Mutou is here".

With a frown, he turned to Mahad again "Who?"

"The boy from the courthouse, my lord" Mahad then nodded his head in the direction of Yugi, prompting the man to round his chair so he could see Yugi.

The man was also young, seemingly younger than Mahad, and incredibly slim as well. With a pale complexion, compared to Mahad who stood next to him, he appeared to be sickly even though he was, assumingly, a healthy young man. As Mahad had mentioned prior, it seemed that the lord was not too caring on his outwardly appearance, wearing loose clothes that had deep creases in them from excessive wearing. Despite his somewhat normal appearance, there was one aspect about him that Yugi could not help but notice, and almost fall hypnotic too.

His eyes were a deep red colour. At first, Yugi figured that they were bloodshot, from overworking and lack of sleep. But the colour was so vibrant, and clotted up where a normal eye colour would reside, that Yugi had no other choice but to believe it was his natural eye colour. Though unusually interesting, it was also disturbing; it was like something he'd imagine a horrid monster to have, blood red eyes that followed its victims presence anywhere.

When realising he stared to long, Yugi gave a quick bow, forcing his gaze off of his lord and onto the floor "I-It's nice to meet you…" Yugi settled on as an introduction.

"So, you're Yugi" He simply said, and approached Yugi, observing the back of his head "You can call me Yami if you wish, I'm not one with formalities, unless it's Mahad".

"Ah…mm…" Yugi hummed, unsure if he should disobey Yami out of etiquette, or follow the order like he was supposed to.

After a few moments of looking over the bent boy, Yami reached out to take hold of his chin between his thumb and finger, gently lifting his head up so they looked at each other. Once again, Yugi could not help but focus on his red eyes, seeing their colour more prominently when standing close. It had almost seemed like someone had painted them onto his eyes; there was no blur between a lighter and darker colour, no depth or cut to them, just a strong, bold colour of red. But despite their unnerving appeal, Yugi could not help but stay transfixed to them.

"He's not very tall" Yami noted, lifting Yugi's head up even higher, in a vague attempt to make him seem taller "How old are you Yugi?"

"Uh…eighteen" Yugi answered, though quickly added "I think".

"You think?" Yami repeated, a slight humorous smile coming to him "Don't you know your own birthday?"

"I'm not…good with numbers I'm afraid".

"Hm" Yami let go of Yugi's chin, and turned to his arm, holding it out while he lightly pressed on the skin of his arm, finding a small amount of flesh to play with "Not very muscular either. Don't you exercise Yugi?"

"I'm not…very good with sports either" Yugi admitted.

Yami gave a chuckle, letting go of Yugi's arm so it dropped to his side "You're not really selling your good points, are you?" Yami teased.

"S-Sorry…"

Yami gave another chuckle, now looking more perked than he was a few moments ago, gaining slight colour to his skin, though still looking sickly. After studying over Yugi a few more times, Yami began to circle around Yugi, like a wolf waiting for its prey to collapse from exhaustion. Yugi kept stiff, letting Yami walk around him and inspect him, while he lightly chewed on his bottom lip, wondering if he should turn or correct himself from their previous conversation.

"Hm, there's not much to you" Yami commented, briefly walking in front of Yugi, before disappearing behind him again "But…you'll do. And…"

When there was a pause in his speech, Yugi hesitated to look over his shoulder, wondering if it was a test of some kind, to see if he had the initiative to determine when something was wrong. But as soon as he thought about turning his head, he felt a ghostly breath touch over his neck, causing the hairs on the back of his neck rise and a shiver zap down his spine.

"You smell…kind of sweet…" Yami whispered in a purr like voice.

"U-Uh…I-I used to work in a bakery" Yugi feebly explained, though found himself apprehensive at Yami's strange behaviour.

"Oh, is that so?"

Mahad cleared his throat, jerking attention from both of them to him, and crossed his arms over his chest "My lord?" He simply said.

At the sound of Mahad's voice, Yami also cleared his throat, and took a deep breath to compose himself "Yes, right. Erm, Mahad, could you show Yugi to his room and make sure he settles in?"

"Of course" Mahad walked over to them, and once coming to Yami, placed a hand on his shoulder making him turn his head "Would you like a drink, my lord? To waken you up a bit?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate that Mahad" Yami gave Mahad a small but warming smile, and returned to his desk.

"Then I will get to it" Mahad then turned to Yugi, and with a pleasing smile, approached Yugi and placed his hand on top of his head "Well, shall we be off Yugi?"

"Uh…okay…" Yugi gave Yami one last concerned gaze, before allowing Mahad to guide him out of the study, and towards the stairs. Mahad shut the door behind them, and pressed his hand against Yugi's back, encouraging him to walk and to not look behind him.

As they reached the set of stairs, Mahad glanced back to the closed door, before turning to Yugi "I'm sorry if the lord came off as unconventional. His work forces him to stay up late into the night and his exhaustion can make him irritated and bizarre at times. Not to mention he has an energetic personality for a young man, so he can come off as a little wild at times. I do apologise if you feel uneasy around him".

"N-No, it's fine" Yugi reassured, eyeing the stairs wearily, before climbing up them "I-I have no right to complain now…"

"But you can't completely void yourself of your emotions, can you?" Mahad gave a small chuckle as he ascended himself, catching up with Yugi in an easy stride, and stuck to his side as they continued up "I think it'd be in the lord's interest if you kept yourself how you are. Even though it is to be expected from everyone else, I know the lord will be upset if you were to force yourself to be something you were not".

"S-Sure…" Yugi hummed and waited until they reached the top of the stairs, briefly looking up and down the long corridor, before looking up at Mahad "Then, why is it you're allowed to address him as lord, but not me?"

Mahad gave a chuckle, and after holding out his hand to show Yugi the way, said "Because, you'll find that I'm rather stubborn. Furthermore, I feel like it is a small way for me to repay the lord, after all he's done for me".

"After all he's done?" Yugi repeated curiously.

"Yes. It may not seem like it, but the lord has, as one may put it, saved my life" Mahad explained with a cherished smile "I'm indebted to him, and I owe him every ounce of loyalty I can give him, no matter what".

"How did he save you?"

Mahad chuckled, but stopped in front of one of the doors "I'm afraid that will have to be told another time. For now, you should worry about acquainting yourself with the house" Mahad then held the door handle, twisting it, but keeping the door rooted to the spot "This will be your room".

Once Mahad had pushed open the door, he stepped back so Yugi could walk in by himself, and take in the appearance of his room.

It faced the direction of the sun, so light poured in in heavy amounts, bathing the room in a bright golden, almost angelic, light. A bed made out of rich wood and clean sheets sat to one side of the wall, neatly made, as if no one had touched it in years. A large wardrobe made out of oak, or a similar kind of wood, towered opposite of the bed, its head nearly touching the ceiling in a clump like pattern. And a desk and a chair, a lonely pair, bare of any book or paper, unlike the untidy and erratic mess of Yami's desk below him, it was waiting for a personality to bring it to life.

Yugi looked over the room many times, stepping in as he did so, and admiring the thought that the room could be claimed as his own. At the generous gift, Yugi turned back to Mahad, who remained stood at the door and watched Yugi with mild interest.

"Not to your liking?" Mahad queried.

"N-No, it's fine" Yugi assured, but gripped his clothes tightly "I-I really…don't deserve all of this".

"Ah, then I must apologise. We, unfortunately, don't have a cellar for you to live in" Mahad mocked sarcastically, making Yugi smile at the light joke "I'm afraid this will have to do".

"Okay then…" Yugi timidly agreed.

"Well then" Mahad then nodded to the door "Open or shut? I'm afraid I have things to attend to".

"Uh…open, please".

Mahad let go of the handle, and after giving Yugi another warming smile, turned to walk away. Yugi stuck to the spot, listening to Mahad walk down the stairs, before the top half of the mansion fell silent.

For a few moments, Yugi simply stood where he was, taking in the bright room that was under his name. But once breaking out of his trance-like state, Yugi decided to approach his bed, letting his hand lightly caress over the sheets. The soft feel came off as surprising to Yugi, remembering how scratchy his bed sheets had been, though a difference in temperature was also noticeable; though his old bed had been irritating, it had held a certain warmth to it, his new and clean bed was cold from inactivity. It lacked the homely quality his old furniture used to have.

With a sigh, Yugi lowered himself onto his knees, both hands rubbing over the bed sheets, before resting his head on the covers. Yugi looked up at the window when he heard a bird call, and barely saw the black shape of a bird fly by due to the sunlight. When peace had been restored to his angelic bedroom, Yugi shifted his head slightly so he could eye up the wardrobe, noting again how the tall closet seemed like it would tumble on him at any moment.

"There wouldn't…" He murmured, and rose up, walking over to the wardrobe.

Standing in front of the large double doors, Yugi observed the dipped in design, before holding the handles and opening it. A row of neatly pressed clothes were lined on the inside of the wardrobe, filling it to the brim of variant outfits, seemingly for Yugi's benefit. He stared at them for a few moments, shocked, impressed and in awe, before closing the doors again and shaking his head.

"They're too…" Yugi gave a stern frown to the wood, thinking for an appropriate word "Fine. Too fine for me".

For most of the day, Yugi kept to his room, too anxious to leave and explore to his will. Only occasionally did he stand at his door, poking his head out, and looking up and down the corridor as he listened out for the other two people in the mansion with him. It was deafly quiet, as if the two people he had met were a figment of his imagination, and the mansion was merely a dream. He had been used to the inner city's workings for so long, that without the bustling noise of people, silence became abnormal to him. Peaceful undoubtedly, but abnormal nonetheless.

Keeping his body locked within his room for the day, Yugi had little to do, and though he felt discouraged to ruin the perfectly smoothed bed sheets, laid out on his bed and delved into his thoughts once again.

The idea that he had his own room, that he lived in the lifestyle of the rich—even if he was considered a servant—and the whole ordeal of him arriving in that situation, seemed so unreal and fantastical. He did not know what the chances were of it happening to someone else, but he imagined that it was exceedingly high, even to near impossible. He deduced that he was an incredibly lucky person.

But even though he was happy with his unusual luck, he could not help but wonder how Joey and Serenity were doing. Though he did not have a choice in the matter, he wished he could have said goodbye to his friend, or at least have the peace of mind that he had aided Serenity. Even though his new master seemed to be merciful, he could not rely on them to be kind all the time, he was, after all, just a servant. If he could not visit them, that was only the cold truth, and he could not go against it.

By the time the evening came in, Yugi had sat up on his bed, watching the sky slowly ink into a fiery orange colour. The streets quiet of any normal life and filled with the echoed songs of birds taking in for the night, kept Yugi interested and looked out of his window, hoping to catch a glimpse of their shadows zip by.

When there was a knocking on his door, Yugi broke out of his daze and turned to his door, greeted by Mahad's pleasant smile.

"My, my, have you been in here all day?" Mahad queried "After I told you to get acquainted with the house?"

"I-I'm sorry" Yugi apologised, swinging his legs off his bed and standing up "I-I got nervous about where I should and shouldn't go…I-I'm very sorry".

"Don't worry about it Yugi. I was only hoping that you could acquaint yourself with the layout so you weren't to get confused tomorrow" Mahad explained, waving a dismissive hand to ease Yugi's worry "But, you must be starving by now, right? I've cooked us a meal, want to try it?"

"Y-Yeah…sure".

Yugi walked out of his room, letting Mahad shut the door behind him, and the two made their way to descend down the stairs "Though, honestly Yugi, you should not confine yourself to your room. It does not do your health any good".

"I'm really sorry".

"It's fine Yugi, just be more wary from now on".

Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, Mahad guided Yugi to the dining room, giving him only a brief time to look back at the study that Yami had resided in. It was shut, locking away any sight within, and presumably to keep Yami working some more.

Walking in to the dining room, Mahad pulled out one of the chairs at the table and offered it to Yugi, while he promised to bring the food in promptly. While alone, Yugi admired the décor in the dining room, curious about the chandelier hanging over the table, and the various portraits of men whose names were unknown to Yugi.

When Mahad returned, he set the two meals on the table, and took his seat opposite Yugi, smiling as Yugi eyed the food in front of him hungrily. After teasing his stomach by staring at the gracious amount of food, he took his eyes away to look over the table, noticing it had only been set for two; himself and Mahad.

"Is…Yami not eating with us?" Yugi queried.

"The lord is busy I'm afraid" Mahad explained cheerily "He doesn't have time to sit down and eat with us tonight, I'm sorry".

"N-No it's fine but…will he be alright? I mean, won't he starve?"

Mahad gave a chuckle, and lightly shook his hand back and forth "Indeed it is worrying, but when it comes to the lord, he will put his work before his own wellbeing. But try not to fret Yugi, when he gets hungry, he will come in search for food in his own time. Try to worry about yourself for now, alright?"

"Uh…s-sure…" Though Yugi had wished to dine with Yami, hoping that he could have learnt some more about his employer, he could not voice back against the decision and had to accept it. There would be a better time on another day, he thought. He began to eat the food, and once consuming enough, smiled brightly once the rich taste hit him "Mahad, this is so good!" Yugi graciously exclaimed while eagerly eating more.

Mahad gave a chuckle, watching Yugi fill every inch of his body with the delicious food "I'm glad you think so. It's nice to have someone compliment my cooking skills for once".

Yugi only gave a wide smile to respond to the comment, but forced himself to consume as much food as humanly possible, hungered and desiring to satisfy his taste buds.

The dinner with Mahad was surprisingly relaxing; while he had thought that the line of conversation would be too civilised, Mahad was considerate, answering and explaining in detail any questions Yugi asked about his new home, and kept a pleasant demeanour about him throughout the evening.

Once the meal had been eaten, and Yugi had thanked Mahad for the wonderful meal, Mahad had suggested for Yugi to head to bed. Though Yugi had offered to help Mahad out, Mahad reassured Yugi that he could handle the few remaining jobs, and wished that Yugi would get as much rest as he could before he started his job the next day.

As Yugi stood in his room, taking off his ragged clothes to toss aside, he slipped himself in the picture perfect bed, attempting to not spoil the clean sheets by riddling it with wrinkles. The room was near pitch black, with only the dim light of the moon seeping in, creating a ghostly silhouette of the outside on a patch of floor.

Yugi kept his eyes to the murky abyss ceiling above him, expecting it to swallow him up and chuck him back into reality, and tease him that it had all been a dream. It felt like a dream. As far as Yugi was concerned, it was a dream, not until he would wake up tomorrow, where he would be told whether what he was experiencing was real or a figment of an active imagination.

It took him a while to fall asleep that night. Aside from the silence of the outside keeping him on high alert, he tussled with his own thoughts until he exhausted himself; did he want it to be real, or did he want it to be a dream? He was unable to decide that night.

********************************End of chapter 2*****************************

Dat plot twist tho!

Unfortunately, the only thing I learnt in this chapter was that I'm terrible at cliff hangers. Goddamn it.

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


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